


Mel Minisode - More Backstory

by caslinproductions



Category: Monsterhearts (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Drug Abuse, Drug Use, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:09:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29980593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caslinproductions/pseuds/caslinproductions
Summary: Just some more backstory for Mel. Originally written June 2020.Also note that the Overseers get more fleshed-out as we played thanks to our perfect MC and they actually became really great characters and parents.





	Mel Minisode - More Backstory

**Author's Note:**

> Just some more backstory for Mel. Originally written June 2020.
> 
> Also note that the Overseers get more fleshed-out as we played thanks to our perfect MC and they actually became really great characters and parents.

**_Title sequence, episode title flashes across the screen: “Mel”  
_ ** ****

**_Opening shot is of a picturesque New England house at around mid-afternoon, the sun is shining, birds are singing in the trees, it appears to be springtime. We zoom to the front window where we see two silhouettes, visually upset. We then cut to a shot of an empty baby nursery and slowly zoom out as color fades from the shot, ending in black and white._ **

**_We then cut back to the silhouettes in the window, it’s now the middle of the night, they appear to be in a heated discussion. We cut to an overhead shot of two figures sitting in the middle of a circle of lit candles, they appear to be signing their names on pieces of old, weathered paper. Noted lines, “Eternally binding…”, “A child shall be gifted unto thee…”, “No matter the cost…”, and “Until death is accepting…”_ **

**_Next we see a baby in a crib, apparently alone, staring at the ceiling with empty, soulless eyes; no emotion is registering on its face._ **

**_Cut to a young girl absent-mindedly playing with toys, alone in her bedroom, about five or six years old. The door is slightly ajar and we can hear voices echoing from down the hallway._ **

Voice 1, scared and shameful: I don’t know that I want her to go to school. Can’t we just continue to hide her, keep her a secret? 

Voice 2, gently: We don’t have the time to homeschool her. You know that. We should at least give her a fair chance in the world by providing her with basic education.

Voice 1, concerned: But what if she starts making friends, and wants them to come over, or worse, starts sneaking them over. We can’t have kids snooping around the house, it's too dangerous; for us and for them!

Voice 2, reassuring: I don’t think we have anything to worry about where friends are concerned, she’s too...different...no one will ever truly accept her. Even we can’t give her that much...

**_Next we see a teenage girl, about thirteen or fourteen years old, laying on her bed on a sunny afternoon, writing in a spiral-bound notebook. The camera zooms in closer as a voiceover begins._ **

Teenager: Ok, something is definitely not right with me. Is this depression? Is this anxiety? Is this just "teenage stuff" that I just have to suffer through for the next 6 years? God I hope not... Maybe I'm an alien, abandoned here, doomed to live out a meaningless existence. Or maybe I'm supposed to be some supernatural-fantasy being and will soon realize my full potential and wreak havoc on the entire town under the cover of night! 

**_She laughs aloud to herself and starts to nibble on a fingernail as she writes the next few sentences and the voiceover continues._ **

Anyway. I'm pretty sure the overseers forgot it was my birthday. Which is fine. Whatever. I'll just have to get that new camera and photo editing software on my own, I guess. Could steal some money. Not like they'd ever know. Or care, for that matter. They're never around anyway…

**_Cut to the teenage girl sitting at her computer, with a new camera sitting next to her on the desk. She’s concentrating on the screen, clicking around and stopping to type every so often. A voiceover begins as the camera pans around to show the computer screen._ **

What if I just became someone else? New name. New personality. New history. New family, even. I've gotten pretty good at photoshop this summer. Shouldn't be too hard to make up some family pictures at the beach. That's where everyone else seems to go on vacation. Oh god. Or Times Square. That would be TOO easy... 

Ok. Done. 

It's decided. I'm doing it. I'm tired of boring. I want to be someone else. High school is the perfect time to reinvent yourself anyway, right? 

**_The image focuses and we see that she’s manipulated a few photos of herself to look like she’s in various locations, including the beach, Manhattan, and camping in the woods._ **

**_Cut to the teenage girl, now a few years older, sitting at a dining room table, eating breakfast and scrolling through her phone. We hear Voice 2 call to them from the kitchen._ **

Voice 2: Is there anything you want, or need, for your 16th birthday? A car? New phone? New camera?

Teenager: I’d like a new name.

Voice 1, from across the table: What the hell does that mean?

Teenager, smug: It means exactly what I said. I want to change my name. And my pronouns, if that’s not too much to ask of you two. I know I’m only allowed the necessities, so I don’t want to get too greedy.

**_There is a lengthy pause as the teenager continues to scroll through her phone. She finally sighs deeply, sets her phone down and looks into the camera._ **

Teenager: Mel. They/them preferred. She/her tolerated.

**_A time-lapse then begins to swirl around as Mel continues to stare into the camera, emotionless. We see flashes of classrooms, the lacrosse field, the school gym, a movie theater. A voiceover begins as we start to see clips of Mel sitting with friends, classmates, seemingly enjoying themselves and having fun._ **

Mel: I just feel so...empty...all the time. What am I missing? What am I not doing right? Maybe I should drink more…

**_The scene around Mel swirls to show them surrounded by crumpled beer cans and a few bottles of liquor._ **

Drinking is definitely not helping. The void is still very much there and refuses to be ignored. That seems to be the only thing I can feel lately. What about sex? That tends to make people feel something, or so I've heard…

**_The scene then changes to show them laying in a stranger's bed, face still emotionless._ **

I think I maybe felt a bit of  _ something _ ...but maybe that was also just pure instinctual attraction? Fuck I hate this. I just want to know what it’s like to  _ feel _ . To feel  _ anything at all _ .

**_The scene changes once more to show Mel alone in their bedroom. In their palm, we can see a fair amount of small pills._ **

Mel: Here goes nothing, I guess…

**_We watch as they swallow the pills and slowly lay back on their bed. We then switch to Mel’s POV and their vision is blurred, heartbeat pounding in their ears. After an indiscernible amount of time, we hear a knock on the door and Voice 1 calls out._ **

Voice 1: Mel. Dinner. Now.

Mel, seemingly giddy: Can’t move. Definitely floating. Bring food to meee!

Voice 1: What the hell are you doing in there? Are you high?

Mel, still giddy: Guess sooo! 

Voice 1: Goddamnit. Let me in so I can make sure you don’t hurt yourself.

Mel: Ohhh, definitely not. Absolutely not.

Voice 1, frustrated: Mel, just let me make sure you’re ok.

**_The camera then cuts to the scene outside Mel’s bedroom door, a figure begins frantically jiggling the doorknob as we hear them shout Mel’s name a few times. We then see a 2nd figure appear at the bedroom door._ **

Voice 2: What’s going on? What’s wrong?

Voice 1: Goddamn kid is high on who the hell knows what. They wouldn’t let me in to check on them, and now they’re not responding. Oh, and the door’s locked

Voice 2: Oh for fuck’s sake! Move over.

**_We watch the first figure steps aside and the second figure throws the door open with the aid of an unseen force. They both rush into the room as the camera cuts to Mel’s face. They’re pale, covered in sweat, and seemingly unconscious. Figure 1 touches a few fingers to Mel’s neck to check for a pulse and shakes their head a few moments later._ **

Voice 2, frantic: Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Ok. Ok. Go turn off the light and then come hold my hand and don’t fucking let go, no matter what you hear, see, or feel. You HAVE to keep me grounded or you'll lose me too.

**_The camera zooms out to show the first figure move to turn off the bedroom lights and then kneel next to the 2nd figure, firmly grasping their hand. As the second figure begins to chant in an unknown language, the already darkened room seems to become pitch black and we are overcome by the sound of static white noise._ **

**_Suddenly, Mel jerks awake, the darkness disappears, and everyone in the room is silent. Mel looks over at the figures, eyes wide with confusion._ **

Mel: Did I just…

Voice 2: Never again. Promise us this one thing. Never. Again.

**_Mel nods fervently before laying back down on their bed, eyes still wide. A voiceover begins as the figures stand and leave the room._ **

Mel: I think...maybe...for a brief moment...I felt...I felt terrified...but now…

**_We cut to a black screen and the voiceover finishes._ **

Mel: ...I feel nothing. Even after all of that, I’m still empty. Hollow…

**_End._ **


End file.
